{"id":121184,"date":"2017-10-09T15:06:29","date_gmt":"2017-10-09T13:06:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mygaming.co.za\/news\/?p=121184"},"modified":"2017-10-09T15:07:06","modified_gmt":"2017-10-09T13:07:06","slug":"apple-homepod-vs-google-home-max","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mygaming.co.za\/news\/gadgets\/121184-apple-homepod-vs-google-home-max","title":{"rendered":"Apple HomePod vs Google Home Max"},"content":{"rendered":"

Google recently unveiled its bigger, beefier smart home speaker \u2013 which is set to compete with Apple\u2019s HomePod.<\/p>\n

The Google Home Max boasts a larger footprint than the Google Home and uses the extra space to cram better speakers and additional hardware into its chassis.<\/p>\n

The device is set to launch in December, around the same time as the Apple HomePod.<\/p>\n

To see how the smart speakers compare, we looked at their specifications and features \u2013 as detailed below.<\/p>\n

Specifications<\/h3>\n

While the Google Home Max boasts two high-excursion woofers \u2013 double that of the HomePod \u2013 Apple\u2019s device has an array of seven tweeters encircling the speaker\u2019s central column.<\/p>\n

The Home Max is significantly larger than the HomePod, and subsequently weighs almost twice as much.<\/p>\n

Both devices feature Wi-Fi connectivity with MIMO support, and the Home Max has a USB Type-C port and 3.5mm audio jack. The HomePod has no connectivity ports.<\/p>\n

\n
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Specifications<\/th>\nGoogle Home Max<\/th>\nApple HomePod<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Speaker<\/strong><\/td>\n2x 4.5-inch high-excursion woofers, 2x 0.7-inch custom tweeters<\/td>\n1x high-excursion woofer, seven-tweeter array<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Processor<\/strong><\/td>\nARM Cortex-A53<\/td>\nApple A8<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Dimensions<\/strong><\/td>\n336.6 x 190.0 x 154.4 mm<\/td>\nDiameter: 142mm \/ Height: 172mm<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Weight<\/strong><\/td>\n5.3kg<\/td>\n2.5kg<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Connectivity<\/strong><\/td>\n3.5mm jack, USB-C, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth<\/td>\nWi-Fi, Airplay 2<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Price<\/strong><\/td>\n$399<\/strong><\/td>\n$349<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\"Google<\/a><\/p>\n

Smart features<\/h3>\n

The Home Max is the more expensive option, priced at $399 compared to the HomePod\u2019s $349 price tag.<\/p>\n

However, Google Home Max buyers will also receive a free 12-month subscription to YouTube Red \u2013 which includes YouTube Music.<\/p>\n

Both speakers automatically analyse the acoustics of their surroundings, using audio beam-forming technology to optimise their sound.<\/p>\n

This means the speakers will always deliver great sound, even if they are placed against a wall, on a shelf, or in the middle of a room.<\/p>\n

Google Home Max\u2019s voice commands are powered by Google Assistant, while the HomePod is inhabited by Apple\u2019s voice assistant, Siri.<\/p>\n

The usability of the two assistants depends on which ecosystem you prefer, and this could be a factor in determining which speaker to purchase.<\/p>\n

Both devices are priced similarly, feature high-end sound, and aim to be placed as a central smart speaker for your home.<\/p>\n

In the end, the biggest influencing factor could be what type of smartphone you have \u2013 as those with their information stored in their Google Account would benefit from a Google-powered smart speaker.<\/p>\n

The same goes for Apple\u2019s HomePod, as users with Apple Music subscriptions and iTunes accounts can integrate the services.<\/p>\n

\"Apple<\/a><\/p>\n

Now read:\u00a0Google unveils new Clips camera<\/a><\/strong><\/h4>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Google recently unveiled its bigger, beefier smart home speaker \u2013 which is set to compete with Apple\u2019s HomePod.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":226,"featured_media":121186,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8585],"tags":[25166,25164,25168],"class_list":["post-121184","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-gadgets","tag-apple-homepod","tag-google-home-max","tag-smart-speakers"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mygaming.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/121184","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mygaming.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mygaming.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mygaming.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/226"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mygaming.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=121184"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/mygaming.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/121184\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":121188,"href":"https:\/\/mygaming.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/121184\/revisions\/121188"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mygaming.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/121186"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mygaming.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=121184"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mygaming.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=121184"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mygaming.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=121184"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}